An aerial view shows Male, the capital city of the Maldive Islands in the Indian Ocean.

Many heavily populated areas, including Florida in the U.S., are looking to their coastlines with increasing concern as sea levels rise. But perhaps none have taken it so seriously as Male. With a maximum elevation of only 8 feet (2.4 meters), any rise in sea level is likely to engulf currently inhabited ground. In response to this impending threat, the city has built a seawall around the capital.